As a first-time gardener, I'm very pleased and proud that the
runner-bean seeds that I planted 10 weeks ago have become vigorous
leafy plants that are now producing flowers and pods. Any advice as
to when the pods are best harvested? And what can I expect as to the
next stage in these plants'
life-cycle?


Ken Cohen

The message
from (ken cohen) contains these words:

As a first-time gardener, I'm very pleased and proud that the
runner-bean seeds that I planted 10 weeks ago have become vigorous
leafy plants that are now producing flowers and pods. Any advice as
to when the pods are best harvested?

Pick them before they begin to harden and develop 'strings'. The bulges
made by the developing beans should not be too prominent. You'll find an
old pod lurking there overlooked soon enough. Just nibble it and you're
left with a mouthful of fibres - like most shop-bought beans.

To test, break a bean. If it snaps cleanly, it's OK. You'll know if it
doesn't!

And what can I expect as to the
next stage in these plants'
life-cycle?

Depends.

I usually let a few pods develop fully quite early in the year, and when
it is brown and begins to split, I take the beans and allow them to dry.
Naturally. These will be your next year's seed.

If you manage to catch them in time, dig up the roots before the first
frost and keep them in a plastic bucket in dry sand. (Though not having
sand last year, I used peat, and every root has grown)

Runner beans are perennials and as the roots get older, they produce
more vines. However, they are not hardy at all, so most people treat
them as annuals.

For next year:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
As there are no serious diseases of runner beans in this country, you
can prepare a trench full of well-rotted manure, garden compost, old
woollens, [7] leather shoes, [7] bonemeal, bonfire ash, etc. You'll be
surprised just how your vines will reward you!

[7] Usually obtainable free after a jumble sale

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk excange d.p. with p to reply.

Before the beans inside become obvious,(If in doubt check out a few at your
local supermarket.)
and just before lunch.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message
from (ken cohen) contains these words:

As a first-time gardener, I'm very pleased and proud that the
runner-bean seeds that I planted 10 weeks ago have become vigorous
leafy plants that are now producing flowers and pods. Any advice as
to when the pods are best harvested?

Start picking as soon as there are enough 4" pods for a serving.

Keep picking hard, this encourages the plant to make new beans. It's a
race between you getting as many beans as you can while they are still
tender and tasty, and the plant trying to make seeds. Eventually, the
plant wins.

And what can I expect as to the
next stage in these plants'
life-cycle?

Lots more beans, getting rapidly larger. People getting sick of beans
again with dinner. Neighbours not answering the door as you come down
their path with yet more beans.

Fully grown beans are almost a foot long with rounded bulges down
their sides..and too tough ans stringy to be worth eating. The bulges
are their seeds, the new beans which you can dry in the pods and save to
plant next year.

When the plants have finished cropping, cut them off at ground level
and compost the tops. Leave bean and pea roots in the ground as they
contain nitrogen which benefit the soil.

Janet.